Do you Legally Purchase your software?

[jsnkc]

Do you actually Purchase your software, or use other means to get it. Please be honest!

[lpn1160]

What does purchase mean?? (LOL)

[Will Hay]

What a useful thread

[BJ_M]

Download it illegally. Don't worry you won't be prosecuted

hmmm - don't necessarily take that to the bank .

[jsnkc]

I'm just doing to to prove a point

[Will Hay]

Download it illegally. Don't worry you won't be prosecuted

hmmm - don't necessarily take that to the bank .

Let's hope, at worst, no-one even bothers voting.
W.

[K2]

I always try to use Freeware as my first choice. Freeware should have been on your poll.

[jsnkc]

Freeware is fine, but I know there aren't a lot of freeware authoring and full featured editing programs out there so that is why I didn't include it. I was mainly looking for the people who use Ulead, Pinnacle, DVD Maestro, Scenarist, DVdIt etc... to see if they actually purchase it, or just download it from a warez site or file sharing program.

[fmctm1sw]

I could see this one coming from a mile away......

[leebo]

For me it used to be 50/50. Then Roxio taught me a valuable lesson.

I bought VideoPack 5 for $499. It was for my own use, I don't run a business.

In the begining, I tried calling tech support about all the problems I was having.
I realize the software was new, but those guys didn't even know how to author a DVD! I had to educate them on several items.

To add insult to injury, after three months they told me my tech support period was over!!!

When I tried complaining on their web forum, they deleted my posts!

They finally lost interest in it and left their sucker customers high and dry.

Now the software takes up space on my hard drive. I never use it because it has too many holes. I don't delete it because IT WAS $499!!!

Another example: I paid $50 for VOB's Instant CD/DVD.
Several days later I learned that Pinnacle had bought them, and their offices had been shut down. No tech support. No contact person. Nothing.

I tried contacting Pinnacle, but it was three months b4 anyone emailed me. They should have stopped taking orders, or at least had a predominant warning on their (VOB's) web site.

Pinnacle killed the software and turned it into Instant Copy. So I ran out and bought IC... not!

The problem with software developers is that no government agency checks to see that bugs are fixed or that advertising claims are completely truthfull.

Auto companies are required to make recalls for defective products, but software companies are not (bug fixes are voluntary).




Lessons I learned:

-Cost of the software has no relevence when it comes to support.
-Support often consists of stalling the customer until the support period ends.
-Promises made in advertisments are not promises, they are "creative marketing".
-Many bugs/marketing lies do not become apparent for many months. If I buy software based on vague marketing claims, then find out after the "support" period ends that it dosn't suit my needs, screw me!

[Gazorgan]

I purchase what I use. I evaluate fully functional versions.

Enough said.

[bugster]

I was considering voting in this poll, but have decided not to for several reasons:

1) The provided options are too few to accuratley reflect the many possibilities (and theres no tgpo option )
2) I have just checked a few posts from the poster asking the question in the first place, and he's a jerk.

[Will Hay]

I have just checked a few posts from the poster asking the question in the first place, and he's a jerk.

I'll second that.
W.

[jdizzy40]

Isn't this American, land of the FREE? Or do you work for the Feds? Would you pay $600.00 for a piece of software when you could get it for free by doing a little late night work? Why of course you would. In the past I have been disappointed and out a lot of money thanks to a guy who lives near Seattle, WA and has like a gazillion dollars in the bank (gazillion is more than 10 billion). Now I'm the one not disappointed. Get my point? Thanks however for making my day!

[sLiMpAuLy]

I purchase what I use. I evaluate fully functional versions.

Enough said.
.

Thats what I do
So far I've bought Ulead DVD Workshop 1.3 ........but I couldn't aford the AC3 Plug so I'm still "evaluating" it. ( I hope to purchase it soon though)

[BJ_M]

Isn't this American, land of the FREE? Or do you work for the Feds? Would you pay $600.00 for a piece of software when you could get it for free by doing a little late night work? Why of course you would. In the past I have been disappointed and out a lot of money thanks to a guy who lives near Seattle, WA and has like a gazillion dollars in the bank (gazillion is more than 10 billion). Now I'm the one not disappointed. Get my point? Thanks however for making my day!

even if i can get it for free doesnt mean i would .. if everyone had that attitude, not much new software would get released ..

i suppose since its not that hard to shoptlift -- that you just steal all your clothes and food ? you explain to me the difference - i dont see much .

i say all the power to Bill gates or anyone who legally can make a big buck ... that is MORE the american way and i hope more so than the american way that stealing is ok ...

i do think demos of all programs be more available and some (many) programs were less buggy before being released.

having non lic software at your work can mean some really heavy fines and there are many companies being fined (and schools), which if you are responsable will mean your loss of a job and support for your wife and kids - she will leave you for sure , and you will not get hooked up anymore...
see what can happen ..

[rhegedus]

Leebo's example of Roxio's customer service reminded me of my own experiences with them.

Just before joining this site I'd started tinkering with the idea of VCDs and after browsing through the limited software at my local PC world, EasyCD Creator 5 Platinum looked to be just what I was after - I'd used EasyCD Creator 5 previously whilst it was still made by Adaptec an was impressed, so I thought I'f give the new version a go.

The first thing I noticed was that burner support was pretty poor and so had to dig out my old 4x CD burner to make use of the program. As if this wasn't bad enough, the program would appear to hang during VCD authoring, so you never quite knew what was going on. The final straw was when after it crashed and re-booted my system, taking my CDR and DVD drives with it - on re-boot, Windows could not see any of my optical drives and no amount of tinkering could help.

It took 6 hours to re-format (on the safe side) and re-install Windows and all the software I had on my C drive.

Technical support for Roxio is in Germany, so you pay for an international call to get through to them. The guy on the end of the phone barely spoke English, and the web link to a white book MPEG was down so I couldn't even test my new installation. After 10 minutes (£10) on the line to Germany (the first 5 minutes being on hold!) I was promised an e-mail with the answer to my problem. This is it:

-----------------------------------------------------------------
UPGRADE NOW TO THE NEW EASY CD & DVD CREATOR(TM) 6 !
-----------------------------------------------------------------

To view this newsletter on-line
click here: http://www.roxio.de/english/ecdc6upg

Save £15, plus FREE GIFT!
LIMITED TIME OFFER!


NOW ONLY £34.99! (boxed version)
BUY HERE: http://www.roxio.de/english/ecdc6upg

I spent £50 on the software and £10 on a call together with 6 hours of my time just to get back to square one!

So, would I feel guilty about using illegal Roxio software? Not, if I thought it would work!

Regards,

Rob

p.s. Anyone want to buy Easy CD Creator 5 Platinum cheap????

[BJ_M]

funny Pinnacle was mentioned above - as we had around $40,000+ worth of hardware and software from them in a couple of products they sold and they dropped support for completly in 1 years time -- made the products worthless ...

[rhegedus]

funny Pinnacle was mentioned above - as we had around $40,000+ worth of hardware and software from them in a couple of products they sold and they dropped support for completly in 1 years time -- made the products worthless ...

Indeed! Do all of us who use IC7 now think twice about having spent good money on a program that can't fill a disk properly?

Cue a flood of links to getting IC7 to 4.3Gb............

Regards,

Rob

[negon]

Isn't this American, land of the FREE? Or do you work for the Feds? Would you pay $600.00 for a piece of software when you could get it for free by doing a little late night work? Why of course you would. In the past I have been disappointed and out a lot of money thanks to a guy who lives near Seattle, WA and has like a gazillion dollars in the bank (gazillion is more than 10 billion). Now I'm the one not disappointed. Get my point? Thanks however for making my day

This doesn't make much sense...Do you or do you not pay for it?!
Heh.

[VideoTechMan]

Well, All of my software was purchased, because i know I would have use for it...the most expensive software i purchased was Adobe After Effects 5.5 Production Bundle, which costed me around $1500, and Premeire I had obtained when it was bundled with the Pinnacle DC-30Plus capture board i bought 4 years ago.....good thing about it was, the version of Premeire I had at the time was version 5.0.....since i already owned the software I was able to get the upgrades for not very much money. In fact i still have the receipt for the purchase (yes i keep my receipts lol). I feel sometimes though that through all the software testing and debugging and writing so much C++ code....sometimes justifies the prices of the high-end software, among other factors.

VideoTechMan

[leebo]

funny Pinnacle was mentioned above - as we had around $40,000+ worth of hardware and software from them in a couple of products they sold and they dropped support for completly in 1 years time -- made the products worthless ...

Yes, but it was legal!

[rhegedus]

Just one question re: SpruceUP https://www.videohelp.com/spruceup.htm

If a product that you like can no longer be bought, what should one do if one wants to use it after the trial period has expired?

Difficult, isn't it?

Regards,

Rob

[siyrobbo]

Just one question re: SpruceUP https://www.videohelp.com/spruceup.htm

If a product that you like can no longer be bought, what should one do if one wants to use it after the trial period has expired?

Difficult, isn't it?

Regards,

Rob

wouldnt it be classed as abandonware?

[BJ_M]

you can still buy spruce up-- it comes with several programs still for some odd reason and the spruce auth. code web site link still works and still produces auth. codes ..

[big_hed]

I just love that idea that companies sell software to pirate software/movies, yet get pissed when the pirate class they sell it to pirates their software.

[housepig]

If a product that you like can no longer be bought, what should one do if one wants to use it after the trial period has expired?

one either finds a copy for sale somewhere (a discontinued-software reseller or eBay or Amazon), or one finds another software with similar features and goes to that, or one finds an illegal means of making it useful after it's trial period. Or one pesters the corporation to release it as abandonware, which some do. Or one cries.

that wasn't so difficult, was it?

- housepig

[BJ_M]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3605426965&category=3775

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3605895876&category=3775

[siyrobbo]

would anybody really be willing to pay that much just to make "backups" of their dvd collection? unless they were thinking of starting their own dvd production company.

[rhegedus]

one either finds a copy for sale somewhere (a discontinued-software reseller or eBay or Amazon), or one finds another software with similar features and goes to that, or one finds an illegal means of making it useful after it's trial period. Or one pesters the corporation to release it as abandonware, which some do. Or one cries.

that wasn't so difficult, was it?

- housepig

Wow! Lots of options, but no answer.

The links below for e-bay give prices of $5000 and $15000. Erm.....how much was this originally?

Illegality is an option.........

Pestering the corporation isn't: if that would work then it would be available already.

Our survey says...................

Regards,

Rob